Silicone Oven Mit - © mingwo.com

Holiday Weekend Grilling Tips

Inspired by what friends had to say about my post on the dangers of wire Grill brush bristles getting into your food, I went looking for other grilling tips that may seem obvious to experienced outdoor chefs but may be new to those just getting into Canada’s National Culinary Sport…

Your Basic Charcoal Grill - © funkyfashionfitness.comA Clean Grill is a Happy Grill and a Happy Grill makes Yummy Food.

 

I clicked around for just a few minutes, after initially Googling “Grilling tips”, before I came upon a pretty meaty video on basic BBQ smarts. But, then, I realized there are many other tips and caveats that tyro Grillers should keep in mind. For instance:

  • It’s no sin or shame to wear good, stout oven mitts when grilling. The video cautions us not to douse the briquettes with Starter Fluid to avoid flareups that could cost is our eyebrows. And too much starter can also make your food taste like petroleum byproducts. That aside, oven mitts will help protect you from accidental burns from all the hot parts of the Grill – and that’s most of them, including (as many folks forget) the lid!
  • Resting your meat after cooking is a great idea to preserve juiciness and flavour. But when cooking outside, always cover your resting meat with foil both to keep it warm and keep the bugs and windblown outdoor debris off of it.
  • The aforementioned video does mention the danger of loose Grill brush bristles in your food, but it neglects to mention other BBQ Tool-related issues. Like making sure your tools are well maintained – as in cleaned well after each Griling session and stored in a clean place indoors. Leave them outside and they’re a target for everything from insects to bird droppings.
  • While most Grilling fans know that it’s important to clean the Grill rack itself, some take this task too lightly. I’ve been taken to task – even ridiculed – for pressure-washing my grill racks. But I can tell you truly: food always tastes best off of a clean, properly oiled and pre-heated Grill. And a good pressure-washing once or twice a season is not wasted effort. If you don’t have access to a pressure washer, take your Grill racks down to the local self-serve car Wash. Really.

And those are just the additional things that come to mind after seeing the video. Got any tips of your own you’d like to share?

~ Maggie J.